Finally Saying Goodbye
by TheGreatMatsutzu
Summary: One rainy day on Corneria, Fox visits the graves of his parents, finally attempting to come to terms with his father's death. Can a friend help him through it? One-shot.


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_AN- One-shot. A short Star Fox drabble (Hmm... I seem to have some difficulty writing anything of significant length at the moment). I'd assume that this would take place sometime after Star Fox Assault, certainly before Command. _

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**Finally Saying Goodbye**

Throughout the graveyard, all was silent as the vulpine stood before the moss-covered, gray marble tombstone. Not even the sound of crickets chirping could be heard. It was sprinkling softly, the clouds overhead a dark gray in color. His hands were stuffed in his jacket pockets, eyes cast downward, unmoving from the names of both his parents etched forever on the stone below.

He cringed as the realization crept upon to him. His father's body was not really buried beneath where he now stood. There had no body recovered; they had been only assuming that Peppy's recollection of the events meant that his father had met his end. When he was ten years younger, Fox McCloud always had the dream... the faint hope that his father hadn't really died on Venom. Maybe he had escaped somehow, that the hare only thought he had died?

How he had longed for that to be the truth. How he would hope he'd run into his father while he was out on a job. Maybe he lost his memory and couldn't come back? Maybe he was afraid to face his son? Yes, that was it! After all, he had shown up to help him out of Andross' stronghold after he defeated him during the Lylat War. That was one thing Fox had always believed. Maybe his father was ashamed of his defeat but would look after Fox and help him when needed?

Yes, Fox wished this was the truth more than anything. There was nothing throughout the whole universe he wanted more.

But then Krystal had the vision. It all began when General Pepper had hired Star Fox to do a routine check on Venom for possible pockets of fanatical followers of Andrew Oikonny. Several days into the investigation, around the location where Peppy and James had been attacked all those years ago, Krystal collapsed. Everyone had assumed it was exhaustion. However, later, she related to Fox that she had picked up overwhelming thought patterns. He was shocked when she explained those thoughts were those of his own father. James' memories had lingered there she said. She recounted that she had clearly saw his father's last moments alive... she had actually felt him die...

At first, Fox didn't want to believe it. But, he couldn't deny the blue-furred vixen's strange gift. It had helped them on the battlefield many times before... and it was right on every time. In addition, her accounts of that day had matched Peppy's perfectly as well. The old hare verified it. Not to mention, with every year Fox got older, Fox began to doubt his fantasy of his father's survival. As time continued its course, it seemed like it created a wedge between him and his father.

In some ways, it was almost like Time was James McCloud's murderer.

With Krystal's revelation, Fox now could no longer deny it any further. All hope was gone.

He was... alone.

Tears brimmed in Fox's green eyes as he crouched down and traced his father's name on the headstone with his furred fingertips. The headstone felt cold, smooth... and unforgiving. He sighed. It was finally time to say goodbye. It caused his heart to ache-- why was this so very hard? It had been almost ten years since his father had informed him that he was going on a special mission to Venom. Fox had been in the Cornerian Academy at the time. Looking back on it now, he wished he could turn back time and convince his father not to go. Or, that he would have dropped out (which he ended up doing anyway, after hearing of his father's death) and accompanied him on that mission, to protect him. How he wished that he would've known Pigma was a traitor, and fingered him out to his father before he could make his move.

Again, Time was an enemy.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Fox murmured to the headstone. "I wish I would've had the strength then. I let you down."

Fox couldn't fight back the tears any longer and, closing his eyes, let them flow down his face. As if on cue, the light sprinkling of rain suddenly turned into a loud downpour. Fox didn't pay it any mind-- so lost was he in his grief, that final loss of hope-- he did not care how wet he got.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Except, he didn't feel the rain hitting him at all. Opening his eyes, he slowly looked up from where he was kneeling by his parents' grave. The first thing he saw was the black fabric of the underside of an umbrella. Fox felt himself tense up. How could he not have sensed someone sneak up behind him? Was he really that far out of it?

"How long have you been there?" Fox asked, surprised of how worn his own voice came out.

"Only a minute or two," Came the distinctive tone of Falco Lombardi's voice. "When the others told me that they couldn't find you, I knew ya had to be here."

Fox thought a bit before answering. "I... I had gone to the house first, though."

"Yeah, they told me they already checked here, but I had a feeling you'd stop at the house first, then come here. They all did it backwards. Everyone came here first looking for you... they just missed you. I pretty much figured you'd do it this way."

Fox nodded, though distracted by other thoughts. "It's funny, nothing's changed at all. Everything there's just how Dad had left it the day before he--"

"You don't have ta go there, Foxie," Falco interrupted, his voice seemingly cracking a little. "I know it's painful for you."

Fox stood up and faced his friend. "I miss him so much."

Falco nodded and shrugged. "I know. Hey, if it makes you feel any better, Peppy does too."

Tears came to Fox's eyes again. "They're both gone, Falco. For awhile, I wanted to believe it wasn't true. But it is. My parents are gone, and I'm... all alone."

At first, Falco only made a small guttural sound through his beak. Fox could not tell if the avian was exasperated or concerned, really. However, his right arm suddenly wrapped itself around Fox's shoulders and he slowly pulled him close. Fox buried his head in Falco's shoulder and let his emotions go. As he wept, his brown-furred hands tightly clutched the gray fabric of Falco's jacket as the latter held on to him, the sound of raindrops hitting the top of the umbrella filling his sensitive ears.

"Fox," Falco said as gingerly as possible for him. His free hand had was tightly gripping Fox's right shoulder. "Look, you are never alone... all right? Whenever you need me, I'll always come running. I know it's not the same as the way your mother or your father did but..." He hesitated.

"Yes?" Fox asked, wishing for his friend to continue.

Falco paused for breath and let out a short sigh before continuing. "... I , uh, care a lot about you, Fox."

For the first time in several days, a small smile broke out on Fox's face. "Yeah, back at you."

_You know me better than anyone._

"Hey," Falco's voice broke Fox out of his reverie after a couple seconds. He slightly nudged Fox away from himself. "Enough of this mushy stuff. Let's get the hell outta here and back to the Great Fox, okay?"

Fox let go of Falco's jacket and smirked slightly. Falco's normal attitude was returning. Well, at least he had put his ego aside for that moment and opened up to him. It had made all the difference.

"Just a minute more, okay? " Fox responded, looking back at the grave.

Falco only shrugged in response, his brow slightly raising. During that time, the rain had slowed down a bit and became a light drizzle. Fox closed his eyes and said one final farewell to his father.

After a few short minutes had passed, and when Falco felt Fox was ready, they slowly began to walk arm-in-arm out of the cemetery.

The sun began to shine slightly through the clouds, and seemed to brighten the more they walked. It was in complete contrast to the darkness from the graveyard. Fox was suddenly aware of a multitude of smells and sounds in the area, each one tickling his senses in a different way. There was the faint sound of children laughing, and someone was obviously starting to barbeque somewhere...

Fox felt a lot lighter as he walked up the stone stairs to the cemetery's entrance. Falco was right, he wasn't alone. Even if he went far away, he would always be there for him, no matter the distance. That much he was sure of. Falco could be real annoying at times, but he was always there when his friends needed him. He gave Falco's arm a slight squeeze as he looked up into the blue Cornerian sky, smiling as the sunlight shone upon his face.

It was as if they were there. Yes, he could almost feel his parents watching over them as they left, smiling over him proudly.


End file.
